Retired- U.S. Army Quartermaster School, U.S. Army Adjutant General Corps. & U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG).

I photograph headstones in order to preserve the information for future generations. Why is this so vital? Check out the Blough Cemetery to see how a cemetery's condition can change in 15 years. I strive to add as much information to each memorial as possible, while striving to maintain dignity and respect to each one.

If you have a minute, feel free to visit my mother's memorial Connie Ensley #43042891 and if so inclined leave a flower if you wish.

A tip that helps me - before making edits to another member's memorial, view their profile- some members have specific preferences that we should be considerate of.

I have been involved with genealogy since around 1982 and have published several books on area cemeteries (Somerset/Cambria County, PA) as well as local history. I have transcribed over 300 cemeteries in the Somerset/Cambria County area. I've create memorials in this area using these transcripts and/or from sites that I have personally visited because I believe that a memorial represents a person's life and is deserving of more than just the minimum of a name and date.

I go above and beyond by adding as much data as possible through research because I treat each memorial with the same care and respect as if they were my own family. I am NOT a memorial collector. All of these years of transcribing cemeteries allowed me to create memorials long before many others joined this site. Many were transferred to me by prior members, entrusting them to my care. This is a quest to preserve our heritage for future generations.

Transfers: I'm always willing to transfer a relative's memorial to you unless it is a relative of mine. I consider myself a "temporary steward" for many of these. Please don't send me a vague message asking a transfer for "John Smith." For the ones you are requesting, please use the edit tab for each person, click the "Contact Member" button and request a transfer. It's not up to me to figure out who you are referring to. If you have information that you want placed in the bio, edit the bio. Do not send the information in the notes while editing it to ensure it won't be overlooked. I encourage transfers, but not every single person with the same surname or every person I manage in a specific cemetery.

Edits: Please use the edit tab to request changes. I can't stress this enough- if you want something added to the bio, use the edit tab. Don't put them in the "notes." No corrections will be made from the message section. This is what the feature was developed for. If you are making a major edit such as unlinking parents, I need an explanation in the "notes" section.

Many of the memorials that I've "inherited" contain errors, so I appreciate everyone's help with edits. If you send me an edit, I should be able to trust that it was adequately researched. Too many times, I get an email with no memorial numbers or member number. I am not going to do the research to figure out which one you want transferred. Please do not send an edit to change a person's birth based solely on old death certificates which are known for being incorrect. Also, when I first started here there was no ability to link people and many name places weren't added yet.

Name Places: I add/edit information such as death places narrowed down to the exact place despite what an obituary, etc. might list. Remember- people tend to "generalize" places. Many neighborhoods in my area may be referred to as "Johnstown" but in fact may actually be in a neighboring municipality. Please don't take offense if I send edits under this reasoning. Wrong name places may confuse those that aren't familiar with the area when doing research.

Duplicates: Do not send me a message that you found a duplicate memorial. If you find it, then submit it the proper way via the edit tab.

Military Rank: I will NOT remove the rank from a memorial, as per guidance received from the site admin's. VA Burial Cards lists rank, as does military markers. This site was first meant to be a grave registration site. This is not a "Stolen Valor" issue. Don't send me the same regurgitated "references" that you most likely didn't research on your own or lecture me about it.

Obituaries: I will post obituaries to my memorials as long as the proper citation is made to give the proper credit for the source. If family members want their information private, then they should consider not having it published in the local newspaper/website and funeral home website. There is no legal expectation to privacy when the information has been made public. If you send a transcribed version of an obituary for the bio, please proofread it first. Do NOT send the requests through an email.

Comments: Any negative comments submitted will be forwarded to the site admins. Lately I've come across a few rude people on here. I'm done dealing with rudeness.

Photos: Ancestry Copyright Policy- Content contributed to public area of the Ancestry sites by users remains the property of the submitter or of the original creator, and we are a licensed distributor of such content. When a copyright violation occurs, the submitter, and not Ancestry, has violated copyright. Please credit me if using my photos elsewhere. This includes Ancestry.com, your personal genealogy page, etc. I don't mind if you use my photos, just please cite your source!

If I post a photo on a memorial in which you had already posted one, please don't take offense- sometimes additional photos under other conditions (ie- light, weather, etc.) can provide a whole different perspective. Many times, I've swapped out my own photos when conditions were different the second time around and the new photo had more detail, especially with worn stones. If you are the owner of that memorial and don't want someone else's photos just ask and I will remove it. Likewise, if you have a photo to add to mine that can help enhance the memorial, please feel free to contribute. Twice I have lost thousands of photos with computer issues before I was able to back them up. By posting these, duplicate or not, I've been able to go back and save them from the memorials.

STOP tracking me down on social media to ask me questions. This is why my email is public on this site. I find this to be very intrusive when there is a method to contact me here, especially when I answer all messages (and process edits) within a day or two. And especially- DO NOT TRACK MY WIFE DOWN ON FACEBOOK in order to find me. And yes, it happens or I wouldn't have to post this.

If I happen to leave this site for any reason, I have instructed the site administrators to transfer my memorials to my cousin, member #47938049. This notice is to serve as a back-up.